Lubricating system for deep-well pumps



March 11, 1924,

V. SCHLEYER LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR DEEP WELL PUMPS 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 30

@Noruega March V11, 1924.

v. SCHLEYER LUBRICATLNG SYSTEM FOR DEEP WELL PUMPS Filed OCt. 30 1920 n -nd Fig- IIA il Il IFI fof 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 L 5 @o t 7 e PU 8 Q da l e e Mh Ms W5 L L E O Ww Rwl Em Y .I O HF. L GWG STO .Sd Ye VS1 .l G N,F I T A C I R B U L March 11, 192ML @Norway Patented Mar. ll, 1924.

VICTOR SCHLEYER, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA,` ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MIDWEST ENGINE CORPORATION, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

LUBRICATING- SYSTEM FOR DEEP-WELL PUMPS.

Application led October 30, 1920. Serial No. 420,693.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, VICTOR SCHLEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Lubricating System for Deep-Tell Pumps, of which the following is a specifcation.

It is the object of my invention to provide an eective circulating lubrication system for the bearings of the shafts of deep-well pumps, whereby there is a constant circulation of lubricant through and around such bearings, and the lubricant is re--used again and again with little or no waste.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention: Fig. 1 is a vertical central section through a deep-well pump embodying my invention, the larger part of the intermediate structure being broken away because of the great depth of the well; F igs.

2 and 3 are enlarged vertical sections, showingon larger scales the upper and lower parts respectively of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a modification in which there are a plurality of runners and a lubricated tail bearing beneath them; Fig. 5 is a vertical central section at the upper part of the well, showing a modification of the structure of Figs. 1 and 2, suitable for use when a supplemental runner is used at the top of the well; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Figs. 7 and S'are two vertical central sections through intermediate bearings of the shaft, showing two forms of bearings; and Fig. 9 is a plan of the bearing shown in Fig. 7, with a fragment of its supporting spider.

The well casing 10 extends into the ground the. necessary distance to get the proper subniergence of the pump, and from the lower end of the hole formed by such casing may extend dowward the well pipe.

11 to any desired distance. Preferably an intake fitting 12 for the pump projects into the upper end of the well pipe 11, and has a sealed connection therewith, so that the pump 13 which is located near the lower end of the well casing 10 is supported on the well pipe 11 through such fitting 12. This pump 13 is of the centrifugal type, having one or more stages, Figs. 1 and 3 showing a pump in which there is a single runner 14 and Fig. 4 showing one in which there are two superposed runners 14. The runner or runners are carried by a vertical shaft 15, as usual, which shaft extends from the pump 13 up through the well casing 10 and out of the upper end of such casing, where it may be driven in any suitable way, as by a direct-connected electric motor 16. Near its upper end the shaft 15 may be provided with any suitable thrust and centering anti-friction bearings 17 and 18. The shaft 15 extends axially through a vertical water-discharge pipe 19, which leads upward from the upper or outlet end of the pump 13 and discharges at the top of the well by an outlet pipe 20. If desired, the shaft 15 may. carry at the top a supplemental runner 21, as shown in Fig. 5, discharging directly into the. outlet pipe 20.

The shaft 15 is provided with any desired number of intermediate bearings 25, for centering it and preventing whipping. ln order to lubrieate these bearings and prevent the loss of lubricant in the rising column of water, they are interconnected by pipes 26, which surround the shaft 15 and pass from one bearing to the next and preferably have threaded connections with the bearings, the threads being on the exterior of the bearings and the interior of the pipes. The downwardly extending pipe 26 from the lowcrmost intermediate bearing is connected to the upper bearing 2T of the pump 13,

while the upper end ot' the series of pipes shaft 15 and within a cap 80 rotatable with said shaft, usually just below the intake of the supplemental runner 21 (Fig. 5), where such supplemental runner is provided, or by having a pipe section 26 which extends up through the curved outlet pipe-20 in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 (where there is no supplemental runner 21) and having a screw-flange support 28 oir the exterior of such outlet pipe. The pipes 26 are of course much smaller than the discharge pipe 19, to provide an annular water discharge passageway.

The upper bearing 31 on the shaft/15 has a chamber 32 which is connected by a lubricant-supply pipe 33 to a lubricant tank 34, preferably near the bottom of the latter,

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and below a screen 35 provided in such tank for straining the lubricant supplied to the pipe 33. The lubricant thus supplied passes down through the successive bearings and pipes 26 to the upper bearing 27 of the pump 13. To facilitate this passage of lubricant, the bearings 25 preferably have longitudinal grooves 36 in their bearing surfaces; and in some instances, where such grooves may not supply a sufficiently free passage for the lubricant, the pipes 26 above and below each bearing are interconnected by a by-pass pipe 37. This permits a relatively free flow of the lubricant.

Just below the upper bearing 27 of the ump 13 l provide a small runner 40, the intake of which opens to the lower end of such upper bearing 27. Such upper bearing 27 of the pump may also have longitudinal holes 41 through it, if that is desired. The

runner 40 is much smaller than the regular pump runners 14, 14, or 21, as it is merely to circulate the lubricant. This runner is separated from the runner 14 or the upper runner 14', of the pump 13 by a suitable bearing 42 of the pump, and makes a rather close fit with an inwardly extending flange 43 which separates the discharge chamber 44 into which the smaller runner 40 discharges from the space 45 at the upper end of the bearing 42, so that while there will be comparatively little iiow through the space 45, there will be some ilow and it will be from the chamber 44 into the space 45 and not the reverse, thus producing a pressure tending to cause lubricant to flow downward through the bearing 42. A collar 50 is mounted on the shaft 15 just below the bearing 42, and surrounds the lower end of such bearing closely to prevent sand and water from entering the bearing; and the space 51 around the collar 50 opens by ports 52 to the inner part of the runner 14 to reduce the pressure in such space by the runner action. The diS- charge chamber 44 of the lubricant pump is connected by a relatively small pipe 46, extending upward between the pipes 26 and 19, to the tank 34 above the screen 35 therein. Both the pipes 33 and 46 extend laterally through the pipe 19 at the upper end thereof by suitable packed joints, as is clear from Figs. 2 and 5; and preferably have control valves 33 and 40 for controlling the How of the lubricant.

In operation, the shaft 15 is rotated by the motor 16 and drives the runners 14 and 14', the supplemental runner 21 if it is provided, and the runner 40 of the lubricant pulnp. These runners are all fixed on the shaft, and discharge by centrifugal action into their respective discharge chambers. The details of the water-moving runners and the associated pump casing are not material to thepresent invention, and may be of any suitable character. The operation of the runner 40 of the lubricant pump circulates the lubricant from the lower part of the tank 34 through the pipe 33 to the upper bearing 31, whence the lubricant passes downward through the intermediate bearings 25, by way of the grooves 36, and also by way of the by-pass pipes 37 if they are provided, and through the upper pump bearing 27, to

the intake of the runner of the lubricant` pump, which discharges the lubricant outward into the discharge chamber 44 and back by way of the pipe 46 to the tank 34, preferably entering the latter above the screen 35. This provides an eiiicient circulating lubricating system, in which the columns of liquid in the pipes 26 and 46 are substantially balanced against each other, and the flow of lubricant is sutliciently rapid to produce an ever-renewed lubrication of the bearings, while re-using the same lubricant.

If the lubricant used is oil, it may be supplied to the tank 34 by a filling tube 58; but if it is water, as it sometimes is, it may be supplied to the upper part of the tank 34 by a pipe 59 leading from the outlet fitting 20.

The discharge chamber of the lubricant pump- 40 may, in addition to the circulating pipe 46, have one or more other outlets. For instance, it may have an outlet 47 leading from it into the pipe 26 at some intermediate point, as for instance above the upper pump bearing 27, to provide an extra circulation for such, pump bearing or other parts which are located below the connection. of the pipe 47 to the pipe 26. The use of this pipe 47 is frequently quite desirable.

In addition, where there is a tail bearing 48 for the lower end of the shaft 15, such as is frequently provided when the pump 13 has a plurality of runners as in Fig. 4, a supplemental pipe 49 may be provided from the discharge chamber 44 of the lubricant pump to such tail bearing 48. The pipe 49 preferably leads to the upper end of the tail bearing 48, which has a collar 60 around the shaft 15, while the lower end of such tail bearing may have a restricted serpentine discharge with a filter outlet 61 into the intake fitting 12 of the pump.

The bearings 25 serve as couplings for the adjacent ends of the pipes 26, and at such bearings the upper end of the downwardly extending pipe 26 is surrounded by an inner ring 62 of a spider having thin arms 63 connecting such inner ring with an outer ring 64, which outer ring hes between clamping rings 65 screwed on the adjacent ends of sections of the pipes 19, clamping bolts 66 being provided for clamping the rings 64 and 65 together. The bearings 25 conveniently have some support on the rings 62, either by having outwardly projecting ngers 67 which project loutward between sections of the pipe 26, as shown in Fig. 7 or by a ring 68 which is screwed on the outside of the lower end of the upwardly extending section of the pipe 26, the fingers 67 or the ring 68 resting on the inner ring 62 of the spider. Preferably in the arrangement shown in Fig. 7 a packing 69 is provided around the bearing 25 at the end of at least one of the pipes 26 connected to such bearing, usually at the upper end of the pipe below it.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump having a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe extending upward from the pump and surrounding said shaft, intermediate bearings for said shaft, pipes interconnecting said bearings and surrounding the shaft within said water-discharge pipe, a lubricant-pump with which the lower end of the series of the bearingconnecting pipesconnects, and a lubricantreturn pipe connected with the discharge of said lubricant pump and leading upward to a point outside the well.

2. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump having a ruimer on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe extending upward from the pump andsurrounding said shaft, intermediate bearings for said shaft, pipes interconnecting said bearings and surrounding the shaft within said water-discharge pipe, a lubricant-pump with which the lower end'of the series of the bearingconnecting pipes connects, and a lubricantreturn pipe connected with the discharge of said lubricant pump and leading upward.

3. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump having a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe Vextending upward from the pump and surrounding said shaft, intermediate bearings for said shaft, pipes interconnecting said bearings and surrounding the shaft within said water-discharge pipe, a lubricant-pump with which the lower end of the series of the bearingconnecting pipes connects, and a lubricantreturn pipe connected with the discharge of said lubricant pump and leading upward to van intermediate point in said series of bearing-connecting pipes.

4. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump having a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe extending upward from the pump and surrounding said shaft, intermediate bearings for-said shaft, pipes interconnecting said bearings and surrounding the shaft within said water-discharge pipe, a lubricant-pump with which the lower end of the series of vthe bearingconnecting pipes connects, and a lubricantreturn pipe connected with the discharge of said lubricant pump and leading upward, and a lubricant tank to which both the upper part of said series of bearing-connecting pipes and said lubricant-return pipe are connected.

5. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump in the well and having a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump and surrounding said shaft, a lubricant-conducting pipe surrounding said shaft within said water-discharge pipe, a second lubricantconducting pipe in the well, and a lubricant pump on the lower part of said shaft and having its intake connected to one of said lubricant-conducting pipes and its discharge connected to the other.

6. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well,v

a rotary pump in the well and having a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump, a lubricantconducting pipe surrounding said shaft, a second lubricant-conducting pipe in the well, and a'lubricant pump on the lower part of said shaft and having its intake connected to one of said lubricant-conducting pipes and its discharge connected to the other.

7. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump in the well and having a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump and surrounding said shaft, a lubricant-conducting pipe surrounding said shaft within said water-discharge pipe, a second lubricantconducting pipe in the well, and a lubricant pump on the lower part of said shaft Aand having its intake connected to said firstnamed lubricant-conducting pipe and its outlet to the second.

8. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump in the well and having a runner onsaid shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump, a lubricant-conducting pipe surrounding said shaft, a second lubricant-conducting pipe in the well, and a lubricant pump on the lower part of said shaft and having its intake connected to said first-named lubricant-conducting pipe and its outlet to the second.

9. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump in the well and having a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump, ai lubricant-conducting pipe surroundingsaidshaft, a second lubricalit-conducting pipe in the well, a lubricant pump on the lower part of said shaft and having its intake connected to one of said lubricant-conducting pipes and its discharge connect-cd to the other, and a lubricant tank connected to llt) both of said lubricant-conducting pipes to supply lubricant to one and to receive lubricant from the other.

10. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down Into the well, a rotary pump in the well andhaving a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump, a lubricant-conducting pipe surrounding said shaft, a second lubricant-conducting pipe in the well, a lubricant pump on the lower part of said shaft and having its intake connected to said first-named lubricalit-conducting pipe and its outlet to the second, and a lubricant tank connected to both of said lubricant-conducting pipes to supply lubricant to one and to receive lubricant from the other.

11. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump in the well and having a runner on said shaft. a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump, a lubricantconducting pipe surrounding said shaft, a second lubricant-conducting pipe in the well, a lubricant pump on the lower part of said Sha-ft. and having its intake connected to said first-named lubricant-conducting pipe and its outlet to the second, a lubricant tank connected to both of said lubricant-conducting pipes to supply lubricant to one and to receive lubricant from the other, and a supplemental pipe connecting the discharge of said lubricant pump with an intermediate point on said first-named lubricant-conducting pipe.

12. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump in the well and having a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump, a lubricantconducting pipe surrounding said shaft, a second lubricant-conducting pipe in the well, a lubricant pump on the lower part of said shaft and having its intake connected te one of said lubricant-conducting pipes and its discharge connected to the other, and a lubricant tank connected to both of said lubricantcondiuting pipes to supply lubricant to one and to receive lubricant from the other` a tail bearing for said shaft below said main pump. and a supplemental pipe connecting the discharge of said lubricant pump with said tail bearing.

13. ln a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump in the well and having a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump and surrounding said shaft, a lubricant-conducting pipe surrounding said shaft within said water-discharge pipe, a second lubricantconducting pipe in the well,- the lower ends of said-two lubricant-conducting pipes being interconnected, a lubricant tank to which the upper endsof both of said lubricantconducting pipes are connected, so that the liquid columns in the two pipes balance each other, and a lubricant-pump at the bottoms of such columns for circulatinor lubricant down one of said lubricant-conducting pipes and up the other.

14. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump in the well and having a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump and surrounding said shaft, a lubricant-conducting pipe surrounding said shaft within said water-discharge pipe, a second lubricantconduct-ing pipe in the well, the lower ends of said two lubricant-conducting pipes being interconnected, a lubricant tank to which the upper ends of both of said lubricantconducting pipes are connected, so that the liquid columns in the two pipes balance each other, and a lubricant-pump for the circulating lubricant down one of said lubricant-conducting pipes and up the other.

15. ln a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump in the well and having a ,runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump, a lubricant-conducting pipe surrounding said shaft, said lubricant-conducting pipe being formed of sections internally threaded at their adj acent ends, a shaft bearing at a joint between such sections, said shaft bearing being externally threaded to receive the ends of the pipe ser-tions, a supporting ring surrounding the pipe sections'at such bearings, and a member rigid with Said bearing and pipe sections and resting on said supporting ring.

1G. In a deep-well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotary pump in the well and having a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump and surrounding said shaft, a lubricant-conducting pipe surrounding said shaft, said lubricantconducting pipe being formed of sections internally threaded at their adjacent ends, a shaft bearing at a joint between such sections` said shaft bearing being externally threaded to receive the ends'frthe pipe sections, a supporting ring surrounding the pipe sections attsuch bearings, and a member rigid with said beariiigndpipe sections and resting on" said supporting ring, said supporting ring being supported on said water-discharge pipe.

17. ln a deep well pump, the combination of a shaft extending down into the well, a rotaryipimp in the well and having a runner on said shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump, a lubricantconducting pipe surrounding said shaft, said lubricant-conducting pipe being formed of sections internally threaded at their adjacent ends` a shaft bearing at a joint between such sections, said shaft bearing being elf-tternally threaded to receive the ends of the pipe sections, a packing around said bearing at the end of an associated pipe section, a supporting ring surrounding the pipe" sections at such bearing, and a member rigid with said bearing and pipe sections and resting on said supporting ring.

18. In a deep-well pump, the combination 0f a Shaft extending down into the Well, l0 a rotary pump in the well and having a runner on Said shaft, a water-discharge pipe leading upward from said pump, a lubricharge connected to the other.

hundred and twenty.

VICTOR SCHLEYER.

cant-conducting pipe surrounding said shaft, a second lubricant-conducting pipe in the well, and a lubricant pump on said shaft and having its intake connected to one of said lubricant-conducting pipes and its dis- In witness whereof, I haveI hereunto set my hand at Anderson, Indiana, this 26th day of October, A. D. one thousand nine 

